Rep. Pramila Jayapal: Trump’s ‘Ultimate Goal’ Is to Make America ‘Pure’ Without People Color

Speaking with MSNBC’s Chris Hayes on Thursday night, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) accused President Donald Trump of wanting a version of the United States that does not have any people of color in it.

“Do you think that a bill can be made or do you think this is fundamentally existential and cannot be made,” Hayes asked.

“It is fundamentally existential and if he continues to insist on a wall—you just said it so beautifully, Chris; this has never been about a wall. He actually could have gotten funding a couple of years ago, or a year ago, for a wall,” Jayapal replied.

“It was part of a deal that was proposed, not all of us agreed with that deal but it was proposed to him and he turned it down because his ultimate goal is, as you said, to make America ‘pure in the sense of not having immigrants, not having folks of color here, and shutting down every form of legal immigration,” she continued.

I joined @allinwithchris to discuss the border wall. Trump has never been interested in being a president for the whole country. People of color and immigrants know this too well.

“Y’know, most people in America do remember that they are one generation, two generations, just a little bit removed,” Jayapal added. “They were uncomfortable with the level to which this has gone. And so I hope that this can backfire on him and I hope that it continues to backfire on him because he has never been interested in being a president for the whole country.”

The partial government shutdown, which was triggered over the debate of whether to include funding for a border wall, continues with little sign of either side of giving in.